Lubricating device



Feb. 16 1926. Y 1,573,293

v A J. BLACK LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed NOV. 16, 1922 Dire/7227'.

Patented Feb; 16, i926.

UNTED STATEE PATENT TFCE.

LEE

Application filed November 16, 192i?,

To (all 'whom 'it may 00a-oem Be it known that I, Lina d.

l BLACK, OE' BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

LUBRICATING DEVCE.

BLACK, a citi zen of the nited States, residing at Beauniont, in the county oiu Jeffers Texas, have invented certain on and State of new and useful Improvements in Lubricating- Devices, ot which the following; is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to traveling` ol cls aiid'siniilar structures in which one or more sheaves or the like are rotatablyi nioiinted on a stationary axle, pin.v shait or 'siinilar element, but has iiiore specific. retorence to means for lubricating the bearings oit the sheaves,

The invention has for its object to pro vide a novel and improved means tor lubrieating the sheaves or the lilre, and its shaft, anelito this end it consists in providing the shaft with an internal lubricant reservoir,

and associated tlieieiv ith for forcing the lubricant to the desired bearing surfaces, as will be pointed out in the detailed deseription appearing' hereinaf ter.

In orner that the invention may be better understood, reference is had panjying eraiving, wherein to the acconi- Figurel is a central longitudinal section invention 2 is an end vieiv, and

of the Fig.

of Fig. l.

The invention is slioivn applied to a travehng lock having three sheaves 5 which are inounted on a stationary axle G. t is to be 3 is a cross-section on the line J-S understood, however, that the invention is applicable to other structures involving a statioiiarv shaft or the like supporting` a rotatable elenient.

A' 4raginent only oi the bloeit is shown as this sutices for an under standing ot the. invention. The frame ot the blocl; consists ot the usual through which -the axle G side plates 7 passes. A set screiv'S carried by the axle at one' end thereof; and having' its head seating in a recess 9 in the Vadpicentl side plate, prevents rotation ot' .the axle.

The last mentioned end of the axle is forined with a head 10 bearing against the outer :tace ot' the this end, and the outer face o plate is engaged by a nut 11 corresponding end of the axl side plate 7 at the other side screvved en the e. ln the hubs of the sheaves 5 are brass bushings 12.

The shaft 6 has a longitudinal bore 13 forming a lubricant reservoir, and opening through that end of the shaft which carries Serial No. 661,256.

the nut 11. screiv threaded to receive a vvhicli 't'oriiis a removable closure.

This end of the reservoir is sci'eiv nlug 14 ilie opposite end ot the bore has a portion 15 ot reduced diameter provided with a lateral extension 16 openln' scrciv plugi or other sui reservoir is designed to hol able closure 1 7.

t a supply of through the side of the head 1t) and being here -i rovided with a rl"lie grease, and the end portion 15 and vertical portion il constitute an auxiliarji,1 lubricant inlet i'or the purpose oi' permitting' the reservoir to be filled Vwith liquid oil it' desired.

lt i.

o to be pointed out that the reduced it-angular passage 'l'oi'iiis an air release when the torce feed unit is inserted into the axle, :it this tiiiie the plug 17 is removed.

,n the axle (S are lubricant deliver)7 ducts 1S ivhir ot the axle.

are located in the top and the sides These ducts extend radialljvv l'roin the reservoir 1?; to the outer surface of the axle so :is to carrv the lubricant tothe bushiii and at the site ot these ducts the aide has loiegitudiniil external grooves 1.9 to spread A 1 ii set ot' lubricant feed ducts each shcave 5 the grease along' the bushings.

is provi ded to:

shown iii Fig. 1. Also the ducts are arranged at predetermined equidis-:tant points.

nasniuch as the reservoir supplji1 oi grease, a ii'ieans vided tor posilivclj,Y forcing; the reservoir and by the way to the bearing surfaces to rllhcse means comprise the inents:

13 is to hold a has been protlie saine 'troni oi: the ducts 18 be lubricated. following 'eleositiened centrallyY and longitudinally in the reservoir 1?) is a screw-stein 20 having end portions which are smooth and Without threads.

The inner end portion of the stein extends loosely hito the end portion 15 of the reservoir and is gournaled in a siiiall de seien, and the other stein end portion sh oivn at and the protruding end of the screw terminates within this recess so that it Will not project troni the pluri.

On the screiv-steni 20, inside the reservoir 13, are located disk-like plungers 23 which are centrally threaded to feed along the stem. lnasmuch as three separat-e series of discharge ducts 18 lead from the reservoir, three pairs Yof plungers are provided, one pair for each series. rlhe stem 20 is not uniformly threaded. The portion of the screw-stein on which each pair of plungers is mounted, is oppositely threaded, so that when the stein is turned in one direction, theplungers approach each other, and when turned in the other direction, the plungers recede from veach other. It will also be noted that tl e screw-stem is not of uniform diameter throughout its entire length, but is stepped down to different diameters, this being mainly for the purpose of facilitating assembly of the plungers on the screw-stein. In order to prevent rotation of the plungers 23, they are all strung` on a stationary rod 24 carried by the plug 14 and extending parallel to the screw-stem 20. rlhe plungers have apertures near their peripheries, through which the rod passes.

Y To get the grease betwe-en the plungers 23,

- the plug;- 14 must be removed from t-he axle 6, and upon so doing the screw-stem 20, the plungers, as well as the rod 24 are also removed, as the stem and the rod are carried by the plug, and the plungers arel carried by the stem and the rod. After removal of this unit, the stein thereof will be rotated until the members of the respective pairs of plungers have been spread apart as far as possible, and the grease is then packed therebetween. The parts are now replaced without disturbing` the position of the plungers, and the plungers are. now located inthe reservoir 13 as shown in Fig. 1, the members of the pairsof plungers being located on opposite sides of and equidistant from the discharge ducts 18. lf now the stem 20 is turned in the proper direction, the inembers of the pairs of plungers simultaneously approach each other and thereby cause the |`grease tobe forced through the ducts 18 and into the grooves 19. A, slight turn of the screw-stem at suitable intervals sutlices to keep the bearing surfaces amply lubricated. When all the grease has been forced out by the plungers, the plug` 14, and the parts carried thereby, must be removed for replenishinp; the supply in the manner hereinbefore described.r

f The rod 24 positively prevents rotation of the plunger-s 23, and assures that when the screw-stem 2O is rotated the plungers wil travel either towards or from each other according,- to the direction the screw-stein is turned. The entire assembly of parts can also be readily removed from the axle G by merely unscrewing the plug 14, and when the plug is replaced the parts are properly replaced in the reservoir 13. rlhe longitudinally spaced threaded portions of the shaft are designed to let the plungers meet each other exactly opposite the ducts 18 from which the grease is forced. Hence, every bit of the grease is expelledl and the abutting of the plungers serves as a signal to indicate the need of replenisl'iing` the grease.

Attention is particularly invit-ed to the fact that the rod 24, anchored to the plug 14, not only holds the plungers or pistons 23 against rotation when the screwV 20 is rotated to adjust said plungers or pistons, but said rod forces turning` of the plungers or pistons with the plug 14, when the latter is rotated incident to inserting the force-feed unit into the shaft or removing` it therefrom. By thus providing for rotation of the entire force-feed unit, as it is longitudinallyV moved, it may be inserted or removed with greater .ease than would otherwise be possible, as when inserting any tight-fitting body into a bore, the operation is greatly facilitated if said body be rotated simultaneously 'with the exertion of endwise force thereon.

I claim:

ln a force-feed grease expelling unit for insertion into a hollow shaft, an externally Y threaded plug adapted to close one end of the shaft, a screw having one end swiveled in and passing through said plus' at the axis of the latter, spaced grease-expelling pistons threaded on said screw by right and left hand threads respectively, said pistons having peripheral edges which are concentric with said screw throughout their circumference, and a rod parallel with the screw and anchored at one end to the aforesaid plug', said pistons having openings through which said rod passes to hold the pistons against turning when the screw is turned to Operate said pistons and to force Vrotation of said pistons with said plug when the latter is turned incident to endwise insertion of the unit into the shaft or removal from such shaft, the peripheries of said pistons being exposed for contact with the interior of Vsaid shaft.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature.

LEE J. BLACK. 

